I was just snacking on a handful of dry Lucky Charms, eating the oat bits first and saving the marshmallows for last (as you do). In my hand I had: shooting stars, rainbows, red balloons, pink hearts, blue moons, purple horseshoes (for some reason all of these were broken, must be a design flaw), pots of gold, and green hats with shamrocks.

Now, I know that when I was a child the marshmallow shapes were much more simple. I seem to remember blue diamonds and yellow moons, but I am blanking on the others. What were they, exactly?

Also, did you know they they now have chocolate Lucky Charms? If only they'd invented that when I was a sugar-bombed Smurf-watcher...now I fear they may be too radical for my aged taste buds.

The cereal came in the bite-sized shapes of hearts, moons, stars, clovers, and diamonds. In the commercials, Lucky is chased by children who want to taste the wonderfully sweet flavor of his cereal. Lucky's voice was provided by Arthur Anderson. Over the years General Mills had dropped many of the original Lucky charms shapes. According to the company. In fact, the only marshmallow that has survived since the beginning is the pink heart. Today's Lucky Charms shapes included pink hearts, purple horseshoes, red balloons, blue moons, orange and white five pointed shooting stars, yellow and orange pots of gold, pink yellow and blue rainbows and two-tone green Lucky's hats (complete with a clover in reach one).

I found a detailed history here, which includes the fact that Lucky the Leprechaun was briefly replaced by some imposter named Waldo the Wizard.

Did not know that.

I'd never heard of that either. When the Frito Bandido got banned for being an ethnic stereotype, I used to sneer, "You don't see me complaining about the Lucky Charms leprechaun." Maybe somebody did...

There I was last night trying to watch the very serious movie Michael Collins and all that keeps running through my head is "Green potatoes, red blood of patriots . . . " all in the Lucky the Leprechaun voice.

I'd never heard of that either. When the Frito Bandido got banned for being an ethnic stereotype, I used to sneer, "You don't see me complaining about the Lucky Charms leprechaun." Maybe somebody did...

Well, leprechauns don't really exist, you see, so it's hard to offend them with sterotypes.